A Guide to Scouting

Quote from a Queen's Scout

"From Keas to Venturers, the last 12 years have been filled with fun, adventure and challenges that I believe have helped in moulding and shaping the young adult that I have become. I believe achieving my Queen’s Scout has been and always will be the pinnacle of my Scouting career and is something I will always be able to look back on with pride."

Scout Sections

Scouting is not just about knots, woggles and big shorts, and it's not just for boys either! Did you know that Dan Carter was a Cub scout? Many famous sports people, astronauts and politicians got their start in life through Scouting and you can benefit too.

There are 16,000 young people in Scouting in New Zealand, spread across five sections: Keas, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers. Each section has its own balanced programme of activities, badges and awards.

Keas - 5-8 Years

Kea Clubs provide safe and nurturing environments for children to have fun and develop their creativity...

As a Kea you will interact with nature and learn to share through co-operation and teamwork. Keas meet weekly at local Scout Halls and engage in both active and quiet games, stories, creative crafts, play-acting and singing.

The Kea motto is: 'I Share, I Care, I Discover, I Grow.'

As a Kea you will:

have lots of fun and go on awesome adventures

play heaps of games and make lots of friends

earn Award badges

learn the Kea Promise and Motto

learn to sing the Kea Song and Kea Yell

take part in National Events such as Keas Day, Founders Day and Mudslide Day

Scouts - 11-14 Years

Action-packed activities form the core of being a Scout, encouraging young people to make their own decisions and to explore the world around them...

Scouts are the third section of the Scouting movement after Keas and Cubs for boys and girls aged 11-14 years.

At Scouts, we do anything and everything – all the fun things you have always wanted to do. Whether it is outdoor based activities such as tramping, camping, biking, rafting or indoor based such as scout craft, photography or pioneering – what you do is your choice.

We have a progressive Award Scheme based on the four cornerstones of outdoors, community, personal development and new experiences to keep you constantly pushing yourself to achieve your personal best. Not only will you gain practical skills, you will also gain life skills, such as leadership, responsibility and confidence.

You will become a member of a Scout Patrol within a larger Scout Troop. Together, you will make all the decisions, set goals and work together as a team to succeed in whatever you choose to do.

There is a huge network of Scouts throughout New Zealand and an estimated 40 million members worldwide. In New Zealand over 4000 boys and girls are active members of the Scout section and there is always something new and exciting to try.

Venturers - 14-18 Years

Do you like fun new activities, learning new skills and meeting new people……then action, challenges and adventure are waiting for you. Become a Venturer and let the adventure begin. As a Venturer you will choose your own program. If it interests you, you can do it. And remember if it’s not fun you aren’t doing it right.

You will also learn many new skills and make new friends. Social activities are an important part of Venturing, and you will take part in Quiz nights, Formal Balls, Casino evenings and many other fun events. Meeting other Venturers from around NZ and the world, and making friends for life are all a part of Venturing.

You will also work towards your Queen’s Scout Award. Becoming a Queen’s Scout gives you the skills and confidence to achieve all of your goals in life. Because Queen’s Scouts are exceptional young people, this award can be very useful when looking to attend sponsored courses (eg Outward Bound) and in finding work.

Rovers - Ages 18-26

Being a Rover gives you access to a world of adventure, excitement and challenge...

Rovers Scouts offer a unique, challenging and rewarding experience for young adults in New Zealand. Rovers get engaged with a balanced program of service, social and self-development which revolves around having fun in a big family-like environment. As a Rover, you will get opportunities to develop a wide range of skills from leadership, event and project management to general life skills such as budgeting and self-reliance.

You set your own pace to challenge yourself accordingly in a safe and supportive environment. With the Rover Award scheme you can achieve set goals and be rewarded for your hard work.

Groups of Rovers are called “Crews”, each Crew runs itself with huge emphasis on developing a Crew identity and culture. Teamwork is a key part of Rovers, so with all the opportunities Rovers can offer you will be able to hone your skills to assist with your future endeavours.

Rovers “Give back” to the community, either through Leadership roles, mentoring the younger age groups or service projects that benefit others. There is no real limitation to the good you can do as a Rover - YOU can make the world a better place.